


The Little Things

by loving_desperation



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: 50 Themes, Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-28 10:57:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8443213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loving_desperation/pseuds/loving_desperation
Summary: A timeline of events that trails into the future.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this piece on the side as I struggle with Masque Mystérieux, and I finally finished it the other day so I'm posting it now as a little thing for you all to enjoy. I hope you like it!

**Speak**

Her voice is like nothing he’s ever heard before.

She comes falling from the sky, but not in a way that could ever be described as graceful. He wants to compare her to an angel, but she would be the clumsiest angel he’s ever heard of.

Looking back on it, the first time she speaks, she’s apologizing for crashing into him, and he calls her clumsy and there’s no spark between them. She’s cute – he has to admit that – but there’s too much to think about with a building crashing to the ground. His kwami said they were teammates, and while he doesn’t even know who this girl is, he guesses she’ll have to do.

Deciding that they can’t let this akuma roam free any longer, he accepts her partnership and heads out. He’s flying over rooftops before she can even protest his reckless decision.

**Touch**

He isn’t really sure why watching the goalie post disintegrate under his hand is so fascinating and thrilling. Maybe it’s just the idea of having a superpower. 

This power that can be used for good – he knows it can. But the look in her eyes when he triumphantly turns back to her is mildly discouraging. She questions him – “why would we need the power to destroy things?” – and he isn’t really sure either. After all, her power is one of creation, the complete opposite of destruction. Why would they be paired together?

But he’s finally free to do what he wants so he shrugs away his insecurities and charges the giant stone monster.

**Memory**

It’s hard not to think of his mother.

Her smile was radiant, filled with joy and wonder and lighting her whole face up. It would always make him want to smile whenever his mother smiled. And looking at his partner as she watched the butterfly flutter away…it was the same smile.

“Wow,” he breathed.

**Innocence**

How could she have been so stupid?

She hadn’t caught the butterfly and purified it and now all of those people were stone monsters. Tikki had vanished and the earrings were tucked away in her drawer.

Some hero she was, curled up on the floor crying over her failure. She had felt so confident after saving Ivan. But now she realized that she wasn’t cut out for this at all. It was her fault that innocent civilians had become monsters.

**Smile**

It’s hard to ignore the guilt when Alya is beaming at her like this. Of course, Alya doesn’t know that she’s Ladybug. But there’s so much faith behind the sparkle in her friend’s eye.

“This girl is a real superheroine! She’s gonna protect us all!” Alya insists with such confidence that Marinette can’t help but smile as well.

**Ways and Means**

He’s her _partner_. They may have only just met the other day – and goodness knows they haven’t come close to synchronizing their attacks – but he’s still useful.

She needs him to succeed and that’s enough motivation to call on Tikki.

**Belief**

_You’ve already failed once_.

He’s right…she knows that he’s right. She really isn’t cut out for this and she doesn’t know why she thought she was. It was because Alya was in danger – Chat Noir was in danger. It had been a rush of adrenaline and instinct and she hadn’t thought it through. There’s no way she could ever—

His hands are on her shoulders, and he’s looking at her with such confidence that it’s hard to argue. She stares at him and realizes that he actually believes in her. This boy who doesn’t even know her, and she doesn’t know him, but he’s placed his trust in her without any grounds to support it.

For some reason, that’s all she needs.

**Success**

There’s a thrill coursing through her chest and she knows this time, she did it right. She never wants this feeling to fade. 

**Return**

Her parents had been worried, pulling her close the moment she steps through the door. Of course they had been worried, there was a monster terrorizing the city less than an hour ago.

But she’s home, so she beams at her parents and assures them she’s okay.

**Misunderstood**

She comes whirling into the classroom like a storm, accusations falling from her lips. Her tone is harsh – wounded but sharp like a knife – as she stomps over to him. He hadn’t been placing the chewing gum on her seat, only trying to remove it. But she hears none of this. Chloe’s laughter is cacophonous, drowning out his protests.

He can’t look at her again as he sits down across the aisle, too afraid to see the anger in her eyes. She thinks that he’s mean and he doesn’t know how to make her believe other wise.

**Linger**

Marinette keeps turning her head away from him, refusing to look him in the eye. He knows why – the chewing gum incident – but he doesn’t know why it bothers him so much.

The others in class are so willing to talk to him and get to know him. But more than once, he finds his eyes drifting to Marinette. Maybe he should take Nino’s advice and try to tell her the truth.

**Tears**

She doesn’t want to admit that she’s upset. Gabriel Agreste is her favorite designer and she can’t help but adore Adrien’s photos. He looks amazing in whatever he wears for his father’s company.

She had hoped that he would be nice, but instead he seems to be friends with _Chloe_ of all people. This upsets her more than it should, but thankfully she doesn’t cry. The sky does it for her instead.

**Unprepared**

Honestly, the forecast hadn’t said anything about rain, and now she’s stuck waiting until it lets up. But then he’s standing next to her and she quickly turns away, not ready to face him or the rain.

**Caught**

But he speaks to her, and she listens anyway.

**Coup de foudre**

There’s really nothing that stands out, nothing that screams in Marinette’s face to let her know she’s fallen in love. There is however, a distant rumble of thunder at the moment she realizes he’s actually the sweetest person she’s ever met.

Their fingers brush as he passes her his umbrella. And she had never believed in love like this before. It seems symbolic that it’s storming – that _un coup de foudre_ isn’t just a name for the lightning that arcs across the sky. She has no idea where this is going to go, why it makes her stutter.

But there must be something important about him, because she swears she’s seen his eyes this close somewhere before. Maybe it’s a wishful thought, but she swears that something is different now as she scoops up her bag and heads home. The umbrella grip is still warm from his touch.

**Expectations**

She’s not really sure what she thought would happen next. Sure they had a moment, but what was supposed to happen after that? 

He’s nice, he’s sweet, and she’s entirely enraptured. But he seems to be holding back, even if he still smiles at her, still talks to her like he genuinely cares. And she’s really not sure what she’s supposed to make of any of this. 

Of course…what did she expect?

**Fate**

Tikki had warned her that Chat Noir was fated to be her partner for as long as they both possessed their miraculous. Only…she hadn’t listened.

She was a strong believer in choosing her _own_ path – thank you very much.

Yet here she was, chasing Chat Noir, and trying to plant a kiss on his stupid mouth. That mouth that never stopped talking, never stopped spilling puns and sassy remarks…and the most genuine compliments and support that she could ever ask for.

**Pulse**

There was a pounding in her temples, making her head ache with the rush of adrenaline that followed. Her heart was hammering wildly and uncomfortably against the inside of her rib cage. The only thought that raced through her head was – _he’s right there and you have to_ save him.

He’s just her partner – they’re a team. So why is she so nervous? Why can’t she seem to breathe properly? She knew she would have to do this…so why – **  
**

**First Kiss**

It must have been impulse that drove her to reach up and pull Chat’s face down to her own, their lips pressing together. Their mouths sliding perfectly into place like two magnets clasping together.

It was only supposed to last a moment, long enough to break the spell on Chat, and then it would be over. But once their lips are pressed together she can’t seem to let him go. His mouth against her own feels so right, like a puzzle piece she didn’t know was missing. And by the time she realizes how long she’s been kissing him, her body has already started curling upward toward his.

It’s the thought of Kim – still akumatized less than a hundred feet from them – that snaps her back to reality. Her hands drop from his face and they stare at each other for a suspended moment in time.

As she pushes through the rest of the mission, it’s hard for her to ignore the fact that her first kiss was one that Chat wouldn’t even remember.

**Cold**

He was pretty sure that no one would ever know some of the things he did.

There was no way anyone would be able to describe the feeling of the wind against their cheeks, flying from rooftop to rooftop in the middle of the night. He was pretty sure no one could describe the way his body felt, falling from hundreds of feet above the city. And he knew for a fact that no civilian would be able to understand the feeling of leaning against the highest beams of the Eiffel Tower at midnight. The beams were always cool to the touch, the feeling of them against his back and legs a shock compared to the warmth his suit provided.

But with his Lady by his side, he hardly ever felt the cold.

**Need**

She had admitted it before, and she was more than all right admitting it again. There was no hesitation in her voice – in her words – when she grabbed Chat by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. Her voice was imploring, insistent; but her expression, the glint in her eyes spoke so much louder than anything she could say. 

He seemed to lean into her touch, his shoulders curling toward her hands and leading his torso down as he leaned in her direction. Those bright green eyes bore into her, seeming to soak up every moment they spent together like a sponge that could never be saturated.

She had thought about it before, but maybe that was why she was so willing to admit it. He wanted – no, more than wanted – her company. He made it very clear that she was a presence in his life that would not be so easily relinquished. Without actually knowing who he was, she could guess that Chat would not let her go without a fight.

So when her fingers dug into the dips at the back of his shoulders, she poured everything into the quiet phrase. “Please hurry back, I need you.”

**Eyes**

_“T’es yeux est bleu comme le ceil,”_ she murmured out loud, her hand tracing over the crumpled surface of the notebook page. Tikki had said that the poem was meant to be about her – that Adrien of all people was writing a confession of love to her. It was hard to believe, but she did dare to hope.

**Mask**

It had never really occurred to him that there would actually ever be a day that he could face the love of his life, his Lady, and see her without her mask. But the opportunity was now presenting itself to him in the strangest way possible. 

The masquerade ball was the last place he had expected to find her. But who else would show up in a red and black dress with a matching mask and look exactly like Ladybug?

**Rose**

Dipping forward in a bow, he extends his hand to the Lady in red and grins. She seems slightly bashful as her hand is delicately placed in his. There’s a slight flush peeking out from under the edges of her mask and he finds it endearing.

Pressing his lips gently against her knuckles, he realizes that she smells like flowers. Looking up at her, she is the rose, adorned in rich red, among the thorns dressed in their formal black attire. 

**Two**

She’s not entirely sure when she stopped breathing. But when this stranger clad in black tugs her out to the dance floor, she gasps and suddenly realizes that she feels lightheaded. They’re pressed close together, the vibrant green of his tie blurring in her peripheral vision as everything and everyone else falls away.

**Hands**

His digits wrap securely around her slender hand as he takes the lead in the dance. Halfway through, and in a dream-like trance, his head inclines a little as he whispers, “I’ve finally found you M’lady.”

**Bribe**

“Please!” he begs desperately, clinging to her hand as she tries to pull away. “I’ll do anything! I swear!”

This gives her pause as she stares down at his pleading expression. There’s something about the way his voice sounds that makes her curious to see just how truthful he’s being.

“Anything?”

“Anything!”

“No jokes,” she grins maliciously. “For two weeks.”

“But-!” he begins to protest. That’s when she pops the macaroon into her mouth, chewing it smugly as he pouts playfully.

**Error**

“So, when were you going to tell us you’re dating that Agreste boy?” her father asks one day. She’s just come home from school, Adrien already upstairs as she gathers snacks from the bakery.

“W-We’re not! Adrien is just my friend!” she protests, her blush and stammering not entirely convincing…even if it is the truth.

Her parents smirk knowingly at each other and wave her off.

**Appetite**

He knows that he was invited, and that her family is remarkably kind, but he hesitates anyway. The quiche smells heavenly and it tasted even better. But he’s already had his serving and no matter how hungry he is, he doesn’t want to seem rude.

“Adrien, would you care for more?” Marinette’s mother speaks up. She is warm, and kind, and gentle. She is everything his mother was and maybe that’s part of the reason why he’s been coming around for dinner almost every night after school.

“Oh, but I shouldn’t,” he says politely. His stomach betrays him with a growl.

Marinette knows – of course she knows, they’re partners – and gives him a gentle nudge. She’s been trying to make sure he stays healthy and fed because a model’s diet isn’t cut out for a superhero. So he gratefully takes another helping.

**Refrain**

The sleepover was unplanned, but her parent’s don’t seem to mind as they smile and head to bed themselves. Marinette fell asleep against his shoulder, safely tucked against him and wrapped in his arm. He’s close to sleep himself, but he’s transfixed by Marinette’s sleeping expression.

She’s got a relaxed smile and her face is smooth of worry. She looks content and peaceful, as if the fate of an entire city wasn’t resting on her shoulders. He wants to brush his fingers over her features, memorize the dips and curves of this peaceful expression, but he also doesn’t want to wake her.

**Family**

It’s not until the winter holidays roll around that he realizes what’s happened. Marinette takes his hand on their last day of school before break and tugs him in the direction of her house. He’s confused, but she’s insistent, and he doesn’t argue. Flurries have begun to fall from the overcast sky and he’s not about to protest and stay out in the cold longer than they need to.

Her parents are waiting at the bakery with a pile of goodies and warm cocoa, steam still curling lazily up from the mugs. They expect him to come home, and more than that, they _want_ him to come home. And he knows that his father cares about him, but it’s hard to resist a place that feels this warm and this welcoming. 

So he stays for a while during break, and he lets his father know that he will be there. Maybe one day Gabriel would find time to meet them.

**Mischief**

The kwami are thrilled they no longer have to hide from each other, that their hosts are a team on the other sides of the masks. And they seem to know before Adrien and Marinette do. So they take matters into their own hands.

One day during break, there’s suddenly mistletoe hung all over the house, and no one fesses up to doing it. Plagg and Tikki find immense delight in the awkwardness that proceeds.

**Hero**

“Look out!” Ladybug screams, rushing to shove Chat out of harms way. He was too busy with the minions their latest akuma conjured up to notice the danger approaching him from behind.

But Ladybug’s got his back. She’s always got his back.

Except when he hears her cry out in pain, every muscle in his body goes taught. It feels like Chat was the one who was impaled, not his Lady. And it doesn’t matter how much pain he’s in because Ladybug needs him.

He’s at her side instantly. The wound isn’t deep, but it’s long and trails down Ladybug’s upper arm. The advantage of their powers means that wounds are healed almost instantly after the battle. But there are always scars because the kwami can only do so much. 

It’s a small price to pay for protecting an entire city.

**Addiction**

Of all the things to get hooked on, Adrien’s pretty sure that his obsession is pretty tame. It’s not his fault that Marinette is really good at giving hugs.

She doesn’t even seem to mind that he requires about eight hugs a day on average. Her slender, toned arms wind just perfectly around his torso while he envelops her shoulders in his embrace. Marinette is always warm, and she smells like her family’s bakery and crisp night wind. The latter is a smell that probably only Adrien can identify, and that’s because he’s with her every time she flies through the air.

Yeah, it’s definitely a healthy obsession.

**Medicine**

“Adrien,” Marinette’s voice sounds mildly exasperated.

“Five more minutes,” he mumbles into her stomach. His head is pounding and he feels like crap. His girlfriend kindly told him this morning that he looked like death warmed over.

“Adrien,” Marinette tries again. “I have to get ready. Unlike you, I’m able to go to my university classes today.” 

“But Princess,” Adrien whines, arms tightening just a little around her waist. “You make me feel a little better.”

“Take some pills, get more sleep and then I’ll be back in a couple hours to give you another dose of cuddles,” Marinette says gently, kissing Adrien’s warm forehead. He does finally relinquish his hold on her, but the moment she’s out of bed, he kidnaps her pillow.

“I’m holding this hostage until you return,” he mumbled around the mass of fluff.

**Happiness**

“Will you marry me?”

The question slips out without much forethought, without any embellishment or prologue. They’re in the middle of a fight for crying out loud, and Ladybug has just punched the akuma square in the nose. Watching her do that, seeing the movement of her lean muscles and the grace of her stance, Chat realizes how hopelessly in love he still is, even after they’ve been together for almost six years.

Ladybug pauses, turns to look at him with a funny expression, and he feels his stomach drop. Maybe he should have thought about this. What if she says no? What will he do?

But she chuckles and shakes her head in amusement. “Of course I will, kitty. But you really need to work on your timing.”

**Perfect**

Adrien fidgets with anticipation as the assembled crowd behind him gasps softly and makes noises of awe and admiration. He makes eye contact with the priest, who only nods with twinkling eyes and a small smile. He wants to turn around and see her, but he’s not supposed to yet. Dumb traditions.

“Wait until you see her, bro,” Nino whispers to Adrien from where he’s standing at his side.

Knowing that Marinette slaved over her dress for months before this date, refusing to buy one from a store, he just wants to see her in it. He knows that she’ll be glowing and flawless, like she always is. And it feels like his muscles are going to snap with how tense they’ve become in anticipation when Nino finally taps his shoulder.

Turning just as Marinette and her father start to ascend the short set of steps to the altar, Adrien’s suddenly breathless. The dress is pure white, the skirt falls with just the right amount of volume to be puffy but still look slim. The bodice has red floral patterns woven into the embellishments and the veil falls over her beaming face. There are some red roses mixed into her white bouquet and adorning the headpiece that secures her veil in the wonderful twisting hairstyle that Alya did for her.

Taking her hand from her father, Adrien finds his voice enough to whisper, “You look incredible, Princess.”

**Vow**

They promised themselves to each other, to have and to hold, in sickness and in death, and all that romantic, gooey stuff. The words they had practiced and recited to each other as Adrien and Marinette were binding and official and promises they intended to keep.

But lying in each other’s arms that same night, warm and content, they whispered more vows to each other, of the promises of their partnership as Ladybug and Chat. To always have each other’s backs, to catch each other when they fell, to never leave the other behind. The vows were not officiated by anyone but themselves, but they were words they did not intend to go back on.

**Decision**

It’s not easy, but they have to let them go. And they know that nothing will ever be harder than this.

**Crossroads**

“I’ll miss you,” she whispered through tears, holding the little kwami close to her cheek. “I still don’t understand why you have to leave, but I know you wouldn’t without reason.”

“Oh, Marinette,” Tikki spoke quietly. “You were the best Ladybug I could have asked for. I’ll miss you, too.”

The pair glanced over to where Adrien and Plagg were sharing a similar goodbye. He was trying to fight it, but Marinette had been married to Adrien long enough to know when he was on the verge of tears.

“Take care of yourself,” Tikki said fondly, glancing down at Marinette’s swollen abdomen.

“I will.”

**Summer**

“Be careful, Emma!” Marinette called to the toddler. The little girl was wandering closer to the swings, and Marinette really didn’t feel like watching her child get kicked.

“I’ve got her,” Adrien chuckled, pushing to his feet from the blanket they had laid out. He walked briskly over to their daughter and swung her up into the air. Emma’s delighted squeal reached Marinette’s ears and she smiled.

The warm air at the park eased the tension in her shoulders, bringing a relaxing sensation that she so desperately needed after all the stress of work. Granted it was much easier to handle now that her “night job” had ceased. But that thought left Marinette disheartened.

_It’s for the best,_ she reminded herself. _Your family needs you more._

Then again, this had always been her favorite time of year to fly through the air above the city. She would never forget the feeling.

**Candy**

“No way,” Marinette groaned. “Of all the people…of all the kids, she chose _her_?”

Adrien laughed and dropped a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “She’s happy, and that’s what matters. Besides, who’s to say they’ll get married?”

“But _Chloe’s_ kid? I mean, what are the odds that Emma would start dating Chloe’s daughter?”

“It must be fate.”

“And who names their kid _Candy_?”

**Photograph**

“Whatcha got there?” Adrien wrapped his arms around Marinette’s waist where she stood at the table. She had been rifling through a box of something for the past couple minutes. She had drawn Adrien’s attention when he realized that she had paused, the clatter of miscellaneous items ceasing.

“Look,” Marinette said, her voice quiet as she twisted to hand a slightly crinkled photo to her husband. “Remember when we asked Master Fu to take this? It was a couple months before he passed away.”

The photo depicted a younger Marinette and Adrien, posing together in their civilian clothes, their respective kwami perched atop their shoulders. Plagg looked like they always did, slightly bored but very obviously happy. Tikki on the other hand was nuzzled close to Marinette’s cheek and beaming widely. The pair of teenagers had asked their mentor to snap a picture of them in their favorite park, one they still visited often to this day.

“Yeah,” Adrien smiled fondly, pulling Marinette to his side to kiss her temple. “I do remember this…I miss them.”

“Me too,” Marinette murmured. She reached up to touch the ruby earrings Adrien had bought for her on their first anniversary without their kwami. It wasn’t that anything tragic had happened – usually kwami spent a lifetime with their hosts – but Adrien and Marinette had wanted to settle down, and the kwami had to move on for some reason; so they had to give up their double lives.

“Maybe one day we’ll see them again.”

**Pain**

“Mama!” Emma’s sob carried to Marinette across the playground. She was on her feet immediately and rushing to her beloved daughter. The little girl was curled up on the ground, holding her knee with tears streaming down her cheeks. Marinette was quick to kneel beside Emma and begin wiping gently at her child’s ruddy cheeks.

“What happened, sweetie?” Marinette asked in a voice that was calmer than she felt.

“I hurt my knee!” Emma sobbed, removing her hand and showing the small, bloody scrape. Marinette knew that it must sting, since there were bits of dirt clinging to the wound, but a sigh of relief escaped her anyway. It was only skin deep and could be easily fixed. Scooping Emma into her arms, Marinette kissed her little girl’s head and started towards where she had left her bag.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. I’ll put a band aid on it and you’ll feel better in no time.”

**Mirror**

Adrien yawned as he trudged down the hallway, passing their eldest child’s bedroom door on his way to the room he shared with Marinette. The shoot for yet another magazine spread had taken hours longer than expected. Something about a camera malfunction that Adrien really could have cared less about. He was home now and long past ready for bed.

But Emma’s quiet laughter stopped him in his tracks. It was long past when she was supposed to be asleep, the hour late and in the middle of the week. Frowning, Adrien backtracked a few paces to Emma’s door and quietly peaked inside.

The door creaked softly, giving him away, but it was too late; he had already spotted Emma standing next to her window. Her large green eyes seemed to glow faintly in the dark bedroom, wide with the guilt of being caught. 

“Emma?” Adrien mumbled in confusion, reaching over to flick on the light.

“Papa-” Emma tried to stop him but as soon as the light flooded the bedroom, Adrien gasped. His daughter was dressed in a very familiar looking cat suit, ears protruding from her wavy black hair and twitching downward to convey her emotions.

“I-I can explain-” Emma said, her fingers beginning to pick at each other. But Adrien was beaming, giving his daughter pause. He crossed the room quickly and knelt down in front of Emma, taking her hand in his and examining the obsidian ring adorning her finger.

“Chat Noir, right?” Adrien smiled. “Like the superhero from before?” Emma nodded, looking confused but hopeful. Adrien beamed even broader and looked back down at the ring with nostalgia coursing through him. “Take care of her, Plagg.”

**Normal**

“Emma! You better not be doing what I think you’re doing!” Marinette’s voice called up the stairs, making the pre-teen wince at being caught. Her mother always seemed to know when she was about to head out for patrol, whether Emma had told her or not. “You promised to be here for family dinner tonight. Come down here, now!”

Emma exchanged a look with Plagg and the little kwami simply shrugged and headed toward the door before Emma. “I could always do with some more cheese.”

Trotting down the stairs a few moments later, Emma grinned shyly at her mother and left an apologetic kiss on her cheek. Marinette hummed in acknowledgement and continued setting the table for dinner. “Thank you for joining us. You need a little bit of a normal routine in your life, trust me, Emma.”

“Mama, I was only going to be gone for an hour! Candy and I don’t take long patrols and-”

“You’re mother’s right, Emma,” Adrien cut in, kissing the top of his daughter’s hair. “I know you two love going on patrols and doing what you do best, but we were in your shoes once. I would have loved to have more normal family dinners then. So just take these moments as they come okay? Candy and the city can wait half an hour more.”

Emma sighed, but sat down and smiled at her family. “Okay.”

**Failure**

“Ladybug, watch out!” Chat Noir cried, lunging for her friend desperately. The crimson clad girl fell quickly, her honey curls flying wildly in the wind as she did. Her hand strained towards Chat’s, but slipped past with barely any contact.

“No!” Chat screamed, watching Ladybug fall helplessly towards the streets below.

**Never Again**

“Emma, honestly, I’m fine,” Candy insisted for what must have been the fifteenth time that morning. It had only been three days since Emma had failed to catch her partner from falling off the rooftop. Candy hadn’t been able to reach her yoyo in time and had tumbled painfully to the streets below.

Their powers prevented the pair from sustaining a serious amount of injury, but Candy had sprained her ankle nonetheless. Emma had carried a sobbing Candy to the hospital nearby after they had detransformed, and both of their parents had understood, but Emma could feel the guilt eating her from the inside out.

They had been forced to let the akuma go, only taking care of it last night with Candy hobbling awkwardly around before cleansing the evil.

“I know,” Emma sighed, slipping her hand into Candy’s and giving it a squeeze. “But I promise I won’t fail you again.”

**Time**

Emma quietly slipped through her window; only detransforming once she had drawn her curtains closed and could breathe easily. The moment after the green flash was gone, her door opened softly and revealed her parents standing there with exhaustion and disappointment on their faces.

“Um,” Emma supplied, fidgeting under their stares.

“Young lady, do you know what time it is?” Marinette asked in a severe tone.

“Late?” Emma squeaked, wincing when her digital clock supplied that it was almost two in the morning.

“You bet it is,” Adrien said. “We understand what you’re doing, Emma. But you’re still in school. Be more mindful of the time from now on, okay?”

“Yes, Papa.”

**Dreams**

“What do you want to study in the future?”

Emma kicked her legs up into the air from where she was laying on her back on Candy’s bedroom floor. She let out a dramatic sigh and shook her head against the carpet.

“I don’t know. All I find myself thinking about is being one half of a dynamic duo. I don’t even know what my favorite subject is in school, anymore.”

Candy laughed and reached over to play with Emma’s wavy hair. “You’ll figure it out,” she reassured her friend. “Everyone has dreams they want to fulfill.”

“What about you, Candy?” Emma asked, tipping her head to look at the blonde. “What dreams do you have?”

Candy merely smiled at Emma fondly and said, “To keep flying through the sky with you.”


End file.
